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BEFORE BRIDGEGATE & HOBOKEN, A SCANDAL CHRISTIE CAN’T SHAKE Investigative Report by Mark Lagerkvist Posted on January 21, 2014

Long before the Bridgegate and Hoboken scandals, the Christie administration has been trying to escape a pension probe that implicates Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.

In a continuing investigation that began in October 2010 — now dubbed “Doublegate” – New Jersey Watchdog has reported:
As a county sheriff, Guadagno made false and contradictory statements that enabled her top aide to collect retirement checks in addition to public salary. The subterfuge cost a state pension fund $245,000.

A state pension board asked authorities in May 2011 to begin a criminal investigation.

Gov. Chris Christie failed to appoint a special prosecutor to conduct the probe. Instead, a conflict-riddled investigation fell to the attorney general’s Division of Criminal Justice, where Guadagno had previously served as deputy director.

Thirty-two months later, the results of the probe remain a state secret. The Christie entourage has stonewalled inquiries, even refusing to acknowledge whether the investigation is ongoing or completed.

A New Jersey Watchdog reporter is suing DCJ for records in Mercer County Superior Court. State lawyers are arguing to keep all information about the probe confidential indefinitely.

For the complete story, here is a bibliography — in chronological order – with links to all 20 New Jersey Watchdog reports on Doublegate:

LT. GOV. GUADAGNO & THE $170,000 STATE PENSION FUND SCAM – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2010/10/20/1286/
NJ TREASURY BOTCHES MONMOUTH PROBE; STATE IGNORES $245K PENSION SCAM IMPLICATING LT. GOV. GUADAGNO -http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2011/03/13/botched-investigation-fails-to-stop-245k-pension-scam/
GUADAGNO-GATE: HOW NJ’S LT. GOVERNOR IS GETTING AWAY WITH $245,000 STATE PENSION SCAM – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2011/04/11/guadagno-gate-how-the-lt-governor-is-getting-away-with-245k-pension-scam/
LT. GOV. GUADAGNO ON HOT SEAT AS STATE INVESTIGATES SHERIFFS’ MILLION-DOLLAR DOUBLE-DIPPING SCAMS – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2011/05/03/2277/
THE SECRET RECORDS BEHIND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KIM GUADAGNO’S $245,000 STATE PENSION SCANDAL – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2011/06/27/2756/
CONFLICTS & CONTROVERSY PLAGUE YEAR-OLD CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OF LT. GOV. GUADAGNO & $245K PENSION SCAM – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2012/05/14/conflicts-controversy-plague-dcj-investigation-of-lt-gov-guadagno-245k-pension-scam-investigative-report-by-mark-lagerkvist/ Note: This story was republished by NBCNEWS.com at http://investigations.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/05/14/11690662-gov-christies-pension-issue-nj-probe-looks-at-running-mate-double-dipping?lite
COUNTY COP’S CONNECTION TO CHRISTIE COMPROMISES STATE’S PROBE OF $245K PENSION SCHEME – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2012/06/07/donovans-ace/
NJ RECORDS COUNCIL ORDERS STATE TREASURY TO TURN OVER DOCUMENTS ON LT. GOV. GUADAGNO’S $245K PENSION SCHEME – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2012/08/01/6701/
NJ RECORDS COUNCIL REJECTS TREASURY’S BID TO AVOID REVIEW OF RECORDS ON LT. GOV. KIM GUADAGNO’S $245K PENSION SCHEME -http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2012/09/26/nj-records-council-rejects-treasurys-bid-to-avoid-review-of-records-on-lt-gov-guadagnos-245k-pension-scheme/
COURT REJECTS STATE’S BID TO BURY RECORDS OF PENSION PROBE –http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2012/11/19/7090/
TOO HOT TO HANDLE? NJ RECORDS COUNCIL QUITS GUADAGNO CASE -http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2012/12/19/7134/
WHAT GOV. CHRISTIE WON’T TELL YOU IN ‘STATE OF STATE’ SPEECH – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/01/07/7154/
NJ RECORDS COUNCIL HELPS CHRISTIE AVOID ELECTION YEAR SCANDAL – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/05/21/8551/
GOV. CHRISTIE’S FRAUD SQUAD COULD START WITH GUADAGNO CASE – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/08/08/8821/
CHRISTIE KEEPS PENSION PROBE RECORDS FROM PUBLIC VIEW AS GOVERNOR EYES SECOND TERM & 2016 RACE FOR WHITE HOUSE – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/09/23/christie-keeps-guadagno-probe-from-public-view-as-he-eyes-2016/
RECORDS OF PENSION PROBE ARE SO SECRET NEW JERSEY SEEKS TO ARGUE THE SECRECY IN SECRET – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/10/07/9078/
GUADAGNO PENSION PROBE: DOES THE PUBLIC HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW? OR WILL NJ AUTHORITIES KEEP LT. GOV’S SECRETS FOREVER? – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/10/21/9182/
LT. GOV. GUADAGNO BREAKS SILENCE ON DOUBLE-DIPPING SCHEME -http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/11/01/9333/
COURT ORDERS STATE TO REVEAL PENSION PROBE SECRETS – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2013/12/02/9484/
‘DOUBLEGATE’ POSES CHALLENGE TO CHRISTIE IN WAKE OF SCANDAL – http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2014/01/13/christie-scandal-bridgegate/

- See more at: http://newjersey.watchdog.org/2014/01/21/before-bridgegate-and-hoboken-scandals-there-was-doublegate/#sthash.KeAdOgTn.dpuf